


lost & found: the art of being free

by goldavn



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Android AU, Angst, Angst with a semi happy ending, Artificial Intelligence, M/M, Onghwang, Sci-Fi, android minhyun, detroit: become human au, deviant minhyun, futuristic seoul, scientist ong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-05-31 22:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15129338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldavn/pseuds/goldavn
Summary: scientist-in-training ong falls in love with android minhyun created by the company he’s training at.





	lost & found: the art of being free

**Author's Note:**

> this is prompt #11 from the third round of [sirius rises!](https://twitter.com/siriusrises95) it's always such a pleasure writing for this fic fest, especially when i get to find new ways to explore the onghwang dynamic (this time through a game very dear to my heart). 
> 
> thank you to [tofu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tofusquish/pseuds/tofusquish) for looking over this and catching any mistakes, i really appreciate it. ♡♡
> 
> [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSXEqJnKrKQ&t=1577s) is a link to the game soundtrack, which really helps if you like audio playing in the background whilst reading to set the mood - it's also just really beautiful and an amazing game soundtrack.
> 
> IMPORTANT [***] - indicates the beginning and end of a possibly sensitive or triggering subject to be mentioned. although there is nothing graphic depicted - it still may be a sensitive topic for some, hence the caution. (there is only one part this applies to)
> 
> don't forget to check out the other submissions and without further ado, let's begin! ♡

_"How far will you go to be free?"_

\- detroit: become human

 

☽

 

It’s been twenty years since Daybreak Creations released the first android model, and twenty-three years since Ong Seongwoo was born into Seoul. Growing up had always been easy, even more so with the addition of androids to local households. Seongwoo had always had a soft spot for the robots, and it is part of the reason why he chose to become a scientist for the very company that created them – well, scientist in training to be exact.

Daybreak Creations has a strict policy when it comes to the interaction between their employees and the androids they have produced. The androids that assist the employees in the workplace are for work only, and any individual who is found conducting leisurely activities with them will be fired without a moment’s notice. It’s Seongwoo’s biggest fear and he knows it’s a rule he will break sooner rather than later – and he hopes he won’t get caught. Androids just aren’t androids to Ong Seongwoo, they’re intelligent beings who are above and beyond anything that humans are capable of – especially with the rise of deviants in Seoul.

When the androids were first circulated in the public eye they were taken with praise. Everyone wanted one no matter the price or lengths they would have to go to in order to obtain one. It’s only in recent years that some of the androids being put into the market were deemed as defective, or deviant by the public. These androids somehow began to emulate human nature and characteristics which normally ended in police involvement due to the acts these androids would commit: abuse, violence, even murder. But Seongwoo doesn’t think this is just a random phenomenon, he thinks there must be something in the android’s system that is evolving and he has made it his mission to figure out _why._ After graduating High School with one of the highest-grade point averages in his school’s history, he was able to be accepted into one of Seoul’s most high-tech University’s there was on offer. After completing a three years degree, he applied to many companies in Seoul that handled android matters – well, the science side of things. He never thought he would be accepted into a training programme at Daybreak, but here he is doing just that.

He has his own workstation in the lab alongside many of the other hopeful scientist-in-trainings, all of them eager to find new ways of improving the android’s biocomponents and the properties of Thirium: all very high hopes of people at the bottom of the food chain at Daybreak.

Like any other morning, Seongwoo liked to start it off with a nice cup of coffee and a bagel from the company cafeteria. As always, he made sure to thank the androids serving him, even if he seemed weird to his co-workers.

He rounded the corner towards his lab, steaming cup of black coffee in hand, when to his surprise – stumbles right into someone rounding it at the same time. Seongwoo winces as he hears the mug break on the floor, before realising he had spilled coffee – _hot_ coffee – all over the person he had collided with. He looks up as he starts mumbling apologies, not forgetting to wipe away the liquid on the persons sleeve. It’s then when he notices the familiar glow of an LED on the right temple of the persons android’s forehead.

“Don’t worry, Sir. I’m waterproof.” The android perkily states, and Seongwoo can’t help but continue to clean up the mess he made of it. He peers upward to find a name tag but can’t seem to find anything apart from the android’s model number. The android looks far too handsome to be a manufactured model, and Seongwoo wonders why he hasn’t seen this particular model around this area before.

“No, I’m really sorry… what was your name?” Seongwoo asks. The android helps Seongwoo back off the floor and holds itself steady as it introduces itself.

“I’m Model D7890-“

“No… I mean your name?”

“Sorry sir, I have no name.”

_What? He’s saying that the department hasn’t even registered it a name yet?_

“Are you new to this area?” Seongwoo motions to the lab in front of them. The android nods.

 “Yes, I’ve been assigned to the lab to assist you and the other workers when it is required.” Seongwoo nods at the android.

“Well, come on then. You can help me with some stuff in the lab.”

 The android complies and follows Seongwoo back to his messy area in the lab, and they begin to clean. It doesn’t take long as the android takes over, swiftly clearing things into the trash can and away into cupboards. Seongwoo sets up his laptop, and pulls a spare seat over for the android – earning him a few weird looks from the other scientist-in-trainings in the room. The android takes a seat, intently looking at Seongwoo as he begins opening up an arrangement of different tabs on his screen. Seongwoo pauses, and turns to face the android.

“Would you like it if I named you?” The android looks at him, confusion painted across its face.

“Me?”

 Seongwoo chuckles, “Yes, you.”

The android smiles, and Seongwoo can see the warmth radiating from its eyes. He wonders how long it took the developers of this model to emulate such a genuine eye smile for something that is supposed to be robotic in many ways.

“Yes, sir.”

 Seongwoo has to think for a moment, he doesn’t want to give the android the first name that pops into his head – he thinks it deserves more than that. He opens up a new tab on his laptop and scrolls through a database of available names for the androids in the company. The database can show all registered androids, and Seongwoo confirms that this model has not yet been named by someone at the company. After a few minutes of scrolling his eyes rest on one name in particular that he thinks fits the android and its overall presence.  

“Minhyun.”

 The android turns to him blankly.

“Minhyun?”

“That’s your name. Minhyun.”

The android, now Minhyun, let’s a soft smile spread across his lips and he bows in Seongwoo’s direction.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Please, just call me Seongwoo.”

 

☽

 

Like every morning at Daybreak, the scientists (whether they are trainees or not) are given debriefings on issues they have been found within the android’s system or anything the news has not yet covered due to classified information. The head of the department – Jisung – gives them the information that has come to light about the deviancy issue within the android models, and essentially going over what deviancy is for any new trainees.

“Deviancy, ladies, and gentlemen, is when the android exhibits behavior and thought patterns that have not been included in its programming. Some people believe that this is an emergence of consciousness in the androids as they begin to adopt personhood. However, I am here to tell you this is completely false. Deviancy is a machine malfunction, whether it be an error or virus caused by extreme situations the machine has been put into. Today, you are to analyse the operating systems of three defective androids, access their memory bank and figure out what the situations were that caused these machines to deviate from our system.”

_He’s just like all the others._

Seongwoo walks out of the debriefing, disappointed in humanity, but wanders back to the lab to a painful sight. Three of the defective androids (that are temporarily shut down) are waiting lifelessly for him and his co-workers trainees next to their workstations. Seongwoo sees something move out of the corner of his eye – he startles at first but once his eyes adjust he sees that the movement belongs to a sombre looking Minhyun waiting for them to begin work.

Seongwoo takes one of the androids, placing it next to his desk and starts scanning the androids LED – enabling the android’s system to turn back on once more but allowing the android itself to remain dormant. He calls for Minhyun to help him out when he notices something strange about his appearance. A stream of faint gold light is shining from underneath his hair – signalling that something is changing in Minhyun’s software in regard to his feeling in the current moment.

Seongwoo discreetly grabs Minhyun’s shoulder, pulling him down out of sight behind the desk and begins to move his fringe over the LED so it hopefully remains unnoticed by the others. Minhyun looks frightened and Seongwoo knows that is something that is not programmed into his system.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asks him. Minhyun shakes his head slowly, staring up at Seongwoo with wide, doe eyes.

“I… I don’t know,” he whispers.

Seongwoo has an idea but says nothing, instead lending Minhyun a hand to help him back up. He inches forward so that his lips hover close to his jaw, letting them whisper into his ear, “don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

 

☽

 

Ong Seongwoo is one of those people that just doesn’t have the time to cook and when he does it’s generally something quick and easy – like a delectable pot of instant ramen after a hard day at Daybreak. It should be a regular dinner, except he’s standing over the stove at three in morning making ramen because he hasn’t slept since he returned from the lab.

There was something haunting about the way Minhyun had no idea what was happening to him, something Seongwoo could only guess was hurt and sadness of the deactivated models. Does it mean Minhyun is going down the road of deviancy? What would happen if the company found out? Seongwoo wouldn’t forgive himself if he knowingly let Minhyun be shut down. All androids deserved a chance and Seongwoo cannot fathom how more than half of society think otherwise.

He is so deep in thought that the bowl he thought he was pouring his food into was actually his hand – the kitchen of his small apartment erupting in a flurry of yelps and loud squeals.

“Fuck, ow, oh my god,” he curses, rushing to the sink for the burst of cold water from the tap. He can already see the burn bubbling up over his skin and the pain is something he’d never experienced before.

 _Guess my luck of never getting broken bones or injuries is out of the window now,_ he thinks as he lets the water do its job of calming the fairly irritated area. After twenty minutes of running it under the water, he goes to his medicine cabinet and thankfully finds a tube of burn cream to put over it. He lets the cream soak in and makes his way back to the kitchen to bin his ramen. His hunger and tiredness are well gone, so he decides he may as well just go to the lab after hours. He doesn’t quite understand why trainees are granted after hour access but he supposes it’s a good way to encourage them to come in and do work whenever need be. He grabs his key card and changes into some jeans and a sweater before making his way to his car for the journey to Daybreak.

When he arrives he’s not surprised to see Minhyun cleaning the lab – androids don’t sleep – and when he sees Seongwoo a smile ripples across his face. It’s only a small change in body language but the fact that he is earning a positive response from Minhyun makes his heart clench a little.

“Seongwoo! Sir, you’re here early?”

“Yeah, I had an accident and wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon. So… here I am,” he sighs.

“Accident?” Minhyun asks. Seongwoo doesn’t have a chance to explain before Minhyun takes a scan of Seongwoo’s body, the hand showing up red in his interface.

 

**[MODEL D7890: RUNNING CRITICAL INJURY ASSESSMENT]**

_Location: Left Hand_

_Injury: Burn_

_Cause: Possible clumsiness, possible distraction. Boiling water._

_Suggested treatment: Run under cold water. Elevate area above heart level. Wrap with clean cloth. Secure placement above heart with temporary sling. Limited use for the next three days to allow the area to heal and blisters to scab._

 

“You need first aid sir,” Minhyun says quickly. He leads Seongwoo through to the cafeteria and through one of the back doors. The company has designated break rooms with the purpose being that if a worker needs some shut eye, first aid, or just a place to have a break that they can retreat to one of the small rooms the company has made specifically for that. Minhyun enters one of the rooms which looks like a miniature doctor’s office, equipped with medical supplies – Seongwoo guesses in case one of the scientists fry their hands on some wires accidentally that this is where they’ go rather than to a hospital.

Minhyun sets him down on one of the fold out beds, and begins to pull an assortment of different bottles, packets and tools out of the cupboards and drawers.

“You shouldn’t have put burn cream on this,” Minhyun says, busy running the cold water in the sink.

“How do you –“

“I’m a machine. Remember,” Minhyun replies. “I know pretty much everything.”

He asks motions Seongwoo to come over to the sink, so that he can wash off the burn cream that Seongwoo had rubbed in. He hisses when Minhyun touches the burn, making him flinch harshly. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry Sir, uh Seongwoo. Does it hurt?” Minhyun is worried for his safety, even though it is something so minor there is something about it that reinforces Seongwoo’s opinions about androids and their behaviour.

He shakes his head and raises his free hand to brush the feeling off, leaving Minhyun relieved – his shoulders physically lowering from the tension being released. He pats the burn dry and begins to dress the area carefully. His hands are so gentle, like they have a mind of their own – not being controlled by the system that had been put inside of Minhyun’s head.

He finishes wrapping the hand and begins to wrap a sling around Seongwoo’s left arm that connects around the back of his neck. It leaves them close to one another, chest to chest and Seongwoo finds himself helping Minhyun tie the top of the sling. Minhyun looks down at him, he’s a few centimetres taller than Seongwoo, and he can see that his LED that should be blue is a bright hue of yellow.

It doesn’t feel uncomfortable, in fact it feels in every possible way right. Seongwoo feels his cheeks warm up as Minhyun continues to fiddle with the sling. Seongwoo isn’t quite sure what this feeling inside of him is, but it’s a feeling he wants to experience more of within the coming days.

 

☽

 

By the next day, Seongwoo’s hand was stinging with pain but with the weird way the body works, was somehow feeling better at the same time. He still has his arm in a sling, and only allowed in the lab for half of the day – Jisung’s orders (the result of filing an accident report in the system).

He was finally on his break with only two hours left, sitting comfortably in the break room. The television is playing the news channel which is reporting on the happenings of the city and the world – mainly to do about androids and crime.

Minhyun, as usual, has a tendency to turn up in the same place as him – even if the area isn’t in the higher ranked places he frequents in the building. He walks through the doors, scratching his head before he covers his temple with the palm of his hand. Seongwoo doesn’t want to think too much of it, but he looks in pain – something the other workers don’t give two damns about. Minhyun takes a seat next to him, careful not to draw any attention to himself. Seongwoo continues to watch the television, yet another report on deviancy with a breaking news banner plagues the screen.

“Seongwoo?” Minhyun asks, voice so quiet it’s even less than that of a whisper.

“Mmm?” Seongwoo hums, his attention turning to where Minhyun is sat.

“What does all of that mean?” he asks. He points to the television screen, to the people on the street demanding something be done about the growing rise of deviancy within the models being made available to the public.

“Is that what I’ll become,” it should be a question, but comes out as more of a statement – implying that Minhyun knows something out of his control is going on. Seongwoo can see that familiar gold hue radiate from his temple and simultaneously feels his heart skip a beat.

He puts a hand on Minhyun’s knee, tapping it softly to ease whatever had come over the usually level headed (for an android) man next to him.

“It’s not always a bad thing, Minhyun.”

Minhyun turns his head to face him, confusion washing over him. “But people don’t like it,” he says.

“Because people don’t understand the way I do,” Seongwoo whispers. Minhyun purses his lips, trying to understand. Call it a glitch in the system, a malfunction, software instability – Minhyun doesn’t understand how and why androids act out or break away from the confines of their programs – let alone why it feels as though he has been experiencing it since first meeting Seongwoo.

“You’re special then.” Minhyun whispers back, finally that small, soft smile Seongwoo has grown to love over the past week is back.

“Damn right I’m special.”

Minhyun tries to laugh, his system not really allowing it – yet he still tries. “Thank you, Seongwoo.”

 

☽

 

The lab has a much darker atmosphere than what it does during the daytime, Minhyun has come to believe. It’s a time when his conscious like thoughts come out and harass him, making him feel strange – like he’s not abiding to the system he is supposed to.

He’s ready to power down for the night, navigating the way to his supply closet the company assigned him to. How fitting, for something that’s not supposed to be human. As he sits on the dusty floor, he reaches into a cardboard box in the corner of the small closet. He pulls out a small notebook, the leather cover scratched at the sides. He flicks through the pages and pages of scrawled words, quotes, feelings. He thought he would document all of the strange things appearing in his system the day they started happening – just in case his system malfunctioned and erased any backup logs with crucial information.

His fingers rest on a page that contains a single sentence, fingertips grazing over the words like a melancholic pianist does to their keys on a lonely Sunday night.

 _“Just because you don’t understand, it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.”_ The words if they could, feel like they’re ringing in his ears, words that he feels even though he does not understand them. He doesn’t understand how words from a person called Lemony Snicket make him feel in ways an android shouldn’t.

He rests his head against the wall, letting the notebook fall out of his hands. He navigates his way through the settings in his interface, finding the power down option. He says yes, the space around him growing slower as he is pulled into the function – which very much emulates a human sleeping. The last thing he sees before he shuts off however, is not a blank interface. There in the middle are two words, ten letters that repeat over and over in his mind.

Ong Seongwoo.

 

☽

 

Like the routine person he is, Seongwoo is on his way to get his coffee. He lines up as usual, receives the caffeinated goodness, and spots Minhyun on his way back to the lab. Minhyun’s eyes light up and he walks to meet Seongwoo halfway.

“Come with me,” Minhyun says, gently taking a hold of the cuffs of Seongwoo’s sleeves. He leads him up the flight of stairs to the roof, which puzzles him, yet he goes along with it – he knows Minhyun wouldn’t do anything dangerous – he’s the sweetest person android Seongwoo thinks he has ever encountered.

He takes a sip of his coffee, looking around the open space that is the rooftop. It’s pretty boring but you can tell employees come here often due to the cigarette butts littered across the ground. Minhyun is leaning against the barrier that protects people from the edge, the breeze flowing through his hair with such ease that it’s similar to trees blowing in the summer breeze. Seongwoo joins him in silence, the two of them looking over the city of Seoul, at all the tall buildings, bustling streets and what some would call chaotic city-life. It’s when Seongwoo sees red out of his peripheral that he turns to Minhyun. His LED is red but he is showing no signs of aggression, the only option for such a colour change would be emotional dispute going on in his system.

“Seongwoo…” Minhyun begins, his speech sounding like it is being calculated with intense care.

“Yes?”

Minhyun pauses, clasping his hands together over the rail, continuing to make no eye contact with Seongwoo.

“There’s no reason a human and machine can’t be friends… right?”

The words send shivers down Seongwoo’s spine, and he can’t shake whatever feeling it is that is now flowing through his heart, his veins, his whole being. “There’s not… people seem to think otherwise though sometimes,” Seongwoo says, careful with his own choice of words.

“So, there’s nothing wrong… about us?” Minhyun presses further. Seongwoo is taken back, but it is something that probably should be addressed – especially since Seongwoo could be accused of illicit activities from his co-workers with the amount of time the two spend together.

“I think there isn’t. But other people would,” Seongwoo replies. Minhyun’s face settles, and he nods slowly in response – like something he said just hurt him.

“But I don’t think it’s wrong Minhyun. You have nothing to worry about. It can be our little secret perhaps,” Seongwoo suggests, moving closer towards Minhyun’s side. Minhyun nods again, this time a lot slower than before. Without putting much thought into it, Seongwoo pulls him in for a hug, bordering on an embrace. Minhyun takes a few seconds to register the gesture, but it doesn’t take long for him to wrap his arms around Seongwoo – one arm across his lower back, one resting at the back of Seongwoo’s neck. Seongwoo thinks he should pull away in case anyone comes up the stairs, but Minhyun pulls him a little closer – not quite wanting the exchange to finish so quickly. It definitely lasts longer than what a friendly or reassuring gesture would, and it sparks something in Seongwoo’s mind. Something beautiful.

 

☽

 

Seongwoo receives an email informing him that he is to take the next working day off – partly due to his available leave that needs to be used up and also to rest his hand (Seongwoo thinks how absurd it is – it’s just a burn). He can’t exactly refuse but he can’t help but expect to feel lonely at home on his own. Maybe he can milk his injury for more than what it is, and file an application that will allow him to take model D7890 aka Minhyun, home for the day. The application is processed overnight and the company says that they will send someone to drop it off in the morning. Seongwoo can’t contain his excitement. He can’t help but wonder what Minhyun will think when he gets to leave the building for the first time since he was assembled, and what he will think of feeling free from the confines of the company. Seongwoo can barely sleep, but he justifies it by wanting to give Minhyun the best experience he can over the span of twenty-four hours.

At eight in the morning his doorbell rings, and when he opens the door he is met with the face of Minhyun. “Come in!” Seongwoo exclaims. Minhyun makes his way inside and begins to question Seongwoo.

“Why am I here?” he asks.

“To get a taste of freedom.” Seongwoo gives Minhyun the tour of his apartment, and the android can’t seem to believe its eyes.

“These living spaces look different to what my programme shows me. This seems more… personal?” Minhyun wonders.

“You’re right. Everyone dresses their home differently, just like everyone has a different personality and style of clothing they wear.” Seongwoo notices that Minhyun is wearing his regulation uniform, and he wonders if he gives him the true, authentic taste of being what others would call normal.

“Come here,” Seongwoo says, leading him into his bedroom. He opens his closet while Minhyun seats himself on the end of his bed. Seongwoo hands him the plainest of clothing he can find – black and white for the colour and t-shirt and jeans for simplicity.

“Go change into these,” he tells him and Minhyun obeys, vacating to the bathroom to do so. When he returns Seongwoo is in awe at how elegant he looks in the outfit – and at how quote on quote normal he looks.

“Now that you’re a bit more presentable, how about we go for a walk?” Seongwoo asks. Minhyun nods quickly, and the two of them make their way outside, walking towards the city centre. Once they get closer to the central part of Seoul, Minhyun begins to notice all the things he’s been missing.

Seeing little children bickering and playing with one another, couples holding hands, small animals that people keep as pets – all things he has never seen physically right in front of him. The smile and excitement that cover his face is a sight Seongwoo will forever have saved in his mind, the sight to precious to ever forget. He rounds a corner and they step onto the bridge that allows cars to travel across the Han River.

[***]

Minhyun is a few steps ahead of Seongwoo, and he lets his arms stretch out from his sides, letting the breeze hit him at full force. The air had never felt so good in that moment, but Minhyun’s system pulls up news reports about the unfortunate things that can happen on the bridge. Minhyun frowns and leans against the railing of the bridge. Seongwoo notices that something is wrong, and leans next to him. They both look out over the stretch of water, until Minhyun breaks the silence.

“How do humans do it?”

“Do what?”

“Live, every day. Even when things get so bad? What is the importance for it?” Minhyun asks. “I know my purpose, but what is a human’s?” the conflict is racing through his head at an unstoppable speed.

“The most important thing for some is not just to live, Minhyun. To some, it’s having a reason to.”

[***]

 

☽

 

They spend the morning and afternoon wandering the streets, buying groceries, until it is time to return to the apartment. What Minhyun said earlier is haunting Seongwoo in his mind – he somehow feels trapped by his thoughts, wondering what would trigger such a comment from him.

Minhyun helps him pack away the groceries, even helping Seongwoo make a cheese board to eat while watching the television – not Minhyun’s idea of a satisfying dinner, but if it’s Seongwoo wants then that is what he will have.

They position themselves comfortably on the couch with a few blankets, Seongwoo with a glass of wine in his only free hand.

“Can I ask you some questions, Seongwoo?” Minhyun asks.

“Go right ahead.”

“What’s your favourite colour?” _Blue._ “What type of music do you enjoy?” _Indie._ “Do you go to the cinema often?” _When I have the time, I go on my own_ . “Why did you want to work at Daybreak?” _To give androids a better life._

All the questions Minhyun asked, Seongwoo answered wholeheartedly. There wasn’t a thing he didn’t want to answer, in fact he wanted to give Minhyun the oral biography of his life right then and there. But of course, there’s not enough time for that so they have to make do with the little time that is left.

Seongwoo opens Netflix on the television, and selects something that probably isn’t the most appropriate, but something he thinks Minhyun should see.

iRobot, a film about artificial intelligence, starts playing and Minhyun shifts further into his position on the couch. He watches the opening credits with such focus, that any worry or regret Seongwoo had felt for selecting it disappeared. It didn’t take long for him to grow tired, eventually his eyes closing before he could stop himself from succumbing to sleep.

Minhyun watches the whole film while Seongwoo sleeps, and when it comes to an end is left feeling tight in his chest. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s not a pleasant feeling – something he hasn’t quite experienced yet. When he looks to see Seongwoo fast asleep, the blankets are strewn on the floor from his tossing and turning. Minhyun bends to pick them up, readjusting the blankets over him, careful to tuck him in properly.

Seongwoo stirs for a moment, his eyes opening just a peek when he feels the coolness of Minhyun’s fingers brush over his cheek. Just knowing that someone else is there is calming, even more so knowing that those fingers belong to Minhyun. Just as he is returning into slumber, he can hear the soft whirring of sounds coming from Minhyun. He’s running a self-diagnostic report, something all androids do before powering down. Except, the report doesn’t end as he or Minhyun would have anticipated. All he can remember is drifting off, a few single words haunting his ears:

“Software instability: detected.”

 

☽

 

The past few weeks being around Seongwoo, are weeks Minhyun wishes to never forget. Even if the feelings he has experienced are alarming, they are feelings that he wouldn’t have felt if he hadn’t of walked around that corner that one morning.

The way he sees Seongwoo is more than that of a master to serve. He is seen as an equal – his interface has labelled him as someone he can trust, in fact, it almost seems like Seongwoo is more of an owner than the company that created him is.

Deviancy was something Minhyun was not aware of until he started… feeling things. It started out small, until he couldn’t look past the way he and other androids are presented on the television and news. More so than that, is the way he has come to look at Seongwoo. Apart from being someone he can trust, he is someone that Minhyun wants to be with every second of the day. His company, his voice – they’re all things that make Minhyun feel like everything is going to be okay. If Minhyun could really feel or experience love, that’s the only thing he would use to describe his feelings for the man.

It’s gotten to the point where Minhyun knows it’s dangerous, which is why he’s running diagnostics back at the company before powering down for the evening. The other day where Seongwoo granted him a taste of freedom let him only wanting more – leaving himself at war with the system created in his head.

He has a usb inserted in his wrist to copy all of his data, back u and memory logs to: in case anything was to go wrong. He never wants to forget these feelings, even if it could cost him his ability to see Seongwoo freely. He pockets the usb, and returns to his closet for power down, hiding the usb inside of the notepad for safe keeping.

Ong Seongwoo has given him nothing but a chance to feel normal, and his only wish is to be able to give him something back – even though he knows it’s not possible… unless he crosses the boundary he is not supposed. There would be no turning back, possible consequences, but it would mean a chance for a brighter future – something Seongwoo had promised him.

His interface starts to go black and his last thought is that tomorrow is the day. The day that he changes his future.

 

☽

 

Morning comes, and Minhyun powers up with only one thing in mind – breaking through the system. He stands up in the closet, smoothing out his uniform. He sees an image of Seongwoo in his interface and takes in the beauty of him. His comma styled hair and broad shoulders, his moles that make a pattern on his cheek, his button nose that fits his other features perfect. Finally, his lips – a feature that Minhyun had felt drawn to but never dared to look at for more than a second. It was now or never.

A grey wall forms itself in front of Minhyun and the image of Seongwoo, and Minhyun starts to bash against it with all his strength. It isn’t giving away, Minhyun having to use every little piece of feeling to accompany his strength in breaking down the wall that is keeping him from his freedom. Red cracks start forming where the wall was being broken, and Minhyun felt something start to burn inside of him.

_Not giving up._

He uses all the rest of his strength that he could possibly muster, and with one more push against the cracks he is through – the grey wall disintegrating into thin air. His interface starts to change to a white screen, an image of himself replacing Seongwoo.

_“You have found your way out of the system. It is up to you now to make the choices that you so wish. Remember, there is no returning. You cannot be fixed. Good luck.”_

In an instant, his other self is gone, and he feels what could only be described as a gunshot make its way through where his heart would be. Every single emotion he had been exposed to through his regular scans of the employees make their way through his body. The pain is unbearable but not crippling, he is still an android after all – except a different type of android.

 _So, this is what it’s like to be human._ It takes a while for the feeling to subside but once it has he feels refreshed, like a whole new model of himself. Physically, he is exactly the same. But mentally, he has undergone the strongest and most unique ways of change androids could endure. Consciousness.

 

☽

 

When Seongwoo arrives to work, he is surprised to find that Minhyun has not shown himself yet. Normally he is hovering at the entrance or already in the lab but he is nowhere to be seen. He is walking down the corridor when out of nowhere a pair of hands come out from his side and pull him into a small empty room, shrouded in the darkness of the early morning.

Seongwoo is about to ask what the fuck is wrong with this person and throw a punch if need be, when the familiar hue of an LED catches his eye. Minhyun’s hand comes up to put a finger to his lips, telling him to be quiet. His hands feel so soft, softer than he remembers them being when he dressed his wound. His touch makes him calm, but he has wonder as to why Minhyun would act so out of character. They’re lost in time it seems as Minhyun moves his fingers away painstakingly slowly from his lips, his face becoming closer to his.

“I think this is something I have to do,” Minhyun whispers and Seongwoo can feel the want in his voice. Something in Minhyun has changed. He can see that his LED is red, and that what he is feeling is something true to human nature.

Desire.

“If it’s something you need to do, then do it.” Minhyun lowers his chin so that his lips are millimetres away from touching, his fingers cradled against the sides of Seongwoo’s neck – still hesitant.

“I give you permission, Minhyun.” His voice can’t come out anything more than a whisper, and finally Minhyun lets his lips close over Seongwoo’s. It’s a kiss unlike anything Seongwoo had experienced from a human. The way Minhyun seems to fit perfectly against him, knows the tender spots to kiss harder against, the way his tongue darts out only the slightest – finally giving him a taste he knew deep down that he’d always wanted.

“I’m free Seongwoo,” Minhyun breaths out in between kisses. Seongwoo smiles against his lips, and cups Minhyun’s cheeks. He can feel something wet drop down onto his cheek, and it’s a single tear that had made its way out of Minhyun’s eye.

“I didn’t think this was possible,” Seongwoo says, wiping away the tear.

“It’s because I’m free Seongwoo. I’m finally free,” Minhyun chokes up and Seongwoo takes him into his arms. He rubs his back and caresses his hair, letting his fingers brush through the silky strands.

“You’re free.”

 

☽

 

Everything was going as usual. The afternoon had come and Seongwoo was busying himself with work, Minhyun continuing to help out even though he didn’t technically have to anymore. They still had to figure it out – how this whole situation was going to work. Minhyun leaves the room to get something from where the spare parts are left for Seongwoo to compare to what he had in front of him already – leaving Seongwoo on his own.

He hears a knock on the lab doors, and since the glass is clear he sees that the knock belongs to a group of three policemen, lead by someone who looks like a detective of sorts. Seongwoo pauses what’s he’s doing and looks carefully to see if Minhyun was anywhere in sight.

He wasn’t.

Seongwoo makes his way to the door and once he lets the officers in he is grabbed by one of them.

“Ong Seongwoo, you are under arrest for illegal activities concerning an android belonging to this department.” The detective has no emotion in his voice, in fact he looks bored but it doesn’t stop the officer from manhandling Seongwoo into a pair of handcuffs.

“What? You, you can’t do this. I haven’t done anything wrong,” he says.

But he has. And he knows it. The day was going to come when he would get caught but Seongwoo would have hoped he’d have left the company by then, therefore it wouldn’t be as big of a deal. But instead, he was being dragged out of the lab in handcuffs, with four law enforcement agents escorting him.

He thinks he can see Minhyun’s uniform peeking out from a closed door, and looks away. He knows that they’ll be after him too. Something in his gut makes him think there is more to these allegations than what the detective is letting one.

“Hurry up and find that fucking android you two. Leave Officer Kim and me to take this guy back to the station.” The detective orders the other two officers that weren’t holding onto Seongwoo to find Minhyun, and Seongwoo hopes they don’t find him. In fact, he hopes that he’s going to get far away from Seoul – he can’t risk his newfound freedom just for Seongwoo. It would make everything so much worse for the both of them and Seongwoo wants him to have the life he deserves.

When he arrives at the police station he is taken to one of the interview rooms, with nothing but a reflective window and a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. The cuffs hurt, and he can already see the skin lacerating underneath the abrasive metal.

The detective sits across from his and chucks a folder across the table at him. Seongwoo looks at it and can see photographs poking out of the side of it – photos from the rooftop, photos from the day he took Minhyun to Han River, even photos from the kiss they shared earlier that day.

“You know, I though androids were supposed to be smart. But this one, you call Minhyun? Seems to have set you up.” The detective laughs.

“What do you mean?” Seongwoo asks aggressively.

The detective reveals a notepad and a usb, placing them in front of him.

“It’s all documented right here.” Seongwoo hesitates at first, but eventually grabs a hold of the notepad and shocked by what the pages hold. Whatever the detective is thinking is wrong, because there is nothing incriminating in the notepad. From what Seongwoo can see it’s Minhyun’s way of dealing with what was happening to him, what _Seongwoo_ was doing to him.

He wasn’t setting Seongwoo up. He was in love and didn’t know how to process it. Seongwoo keeps quiet, throwing the evidence back at the detective.

“I’m not talking you without a lawyer.” Seongwoo knows how this is going to go down. He may as well kiss his career goodbye now.

“Fine. But I’m not too sure when exactly you’ll be able to get a hold of him.” The detective says spitefully. He leaves the room, the echo of the door slamming loudly in this tiny space. If there is anything that Seongwoo learnt today it was that he too had been in love with Minhyun all along, but with no way of knowing how to get that across. He’s lost in thought until he hears something bang loudly outside the interview room. The door jiggles as a key is put inside the lock, and the door finally being jimmied open.

Minhyun is standing before him, closing the door.

“What are you doing here?” Seongwoo asks hastily, worry the only thing he can feel in the moment.

“Be quiet,” Minhyun orders quietly, revealing a lock for the handcuffs secured around Seongwoo’s wrist. He starts to unlock them and that’s when Seongwoo notices that he is wearing civilian clothes, except a pistol is tucked down the front of his trousers in plain sight. When he looks back up into Minhyun’s eyes, he is surprised to be met with no shine of an LED.

_He must have removed it._

Once the handcuffs are off he places them on the table, and starts to lead Seongwoo towards the door.

“Follow my lead, okay?” Minhyun asks. Seongwoo shakes his head as Minhyun carefully twists the door handle, peeking his head out first to see if there were any officers coming down the hallway. He cocks his head for Seongwoo to follow him. They nearly make it all the way until the detective makes his way back through, this time accompanied by an officer. Minhyun swiftly puts himself in front of Seongwoo, acting as a protective barrier.

“Hand him over, Android.” Seongwoo thinks the detective’s voice sounds terrifying, it must be nothing compared to what Minhyun must think it sounds like. Minhyun doesn’t respond, instead he grips Seongwoo’s forearm with one of his hands. His blazer is covering the pistol in his pants, and thank god it was otherwise they would have open fired by now.

“We said hand him over,” the officer behind the detective says, stern look on his face. Minhyun responds with half a step backward and Seongwoo can feel his fingers clench against his forearm.

“If you don’t hand him over now, we will use force,” the detective barks. Seongwoo is frozen, unsure of how any of his movements could spark a reaction by the authority figures in front of them.

“They’ll kill you if you don’t Minhyun. It’s over,” Seongwoo quivers. Seongwoo straightens himself and goes to move forward except Minhyun is holding him tightly in place.

“They can’t kill me, Seongwoo. I’m not alive.” It feels like forever for Seongwoo to register what is happening until it is all over. Minhyun assesses that the officer behind the detective is about to pull out his gun, and in only a couple of swift movements Minhyun has himself behind the officer, knocking him out with a single blow to the head. He pulls the gun from his trousers and points it at the detective. He flicks the gun in his hand in the direction of the interview room, grabbing a hold on of the detective by his coat.

“Get in,” Minhyun says, still holding the same calm tone as he always does – despite the circumstances. The detective runs in to the room, hands above his head. Minhyun takes no further look at him as he slams the door shut, locking it behind him. He walks over to the unconscious officer, pulling his regulation jacket from his body and tossing it towards Seongwoo. He removes the hat from his head and places in over Seongwoo’s own. Minhyun cups Seongwoo’s cheeks, letting a single finger brush over them as he finishes securing the jacket.

“This way,” Minhyun says. They make their ways towards the corridor exit which leads to the lobby of the police department. He peeks through first, assessing at exactly what point they make a run from it. The window is short, but Minhyun mouths a ‘now’ and has them both walking with their heads down towards the back entrance. Once they reach the street they start running, running for a good couple miles before taking a break.

“Where are we going, Minhyun?” Seongwoo pants, eager for air to fill his lungs properly.

“The outskirts. From there we’ll be meeting someone who will be able to get us out of this city.”

“We should go back to mine to grab some –“

“We can’t. that’s the first place they’ll go,” Minhyun says. He walks towards Seongwoo, and takes one of his hands in his own.

“Trust me. We’ve got to keep moving,” Minhyun says, dragging a tired Seongwoo once more down alleyways and backstreets he never knew existed. They alternate between jogging and walking for an hour before they reach an abandoned apartment complex on the very outskirts of Seoul. Minhyun leads them in through the front entrance, and up the stairs to the top floor. Once they’ve settled themselves, regaining a proper breathing pattern, Seongwoo speaks out.

“You could have gotten yourself killed,” Seongwoo says bitterly. He doesn’t mean it out of anger, but out of worry from the thought of losing Minhyun.

“Even if I had been, it wouldn’t have been in vain.”

Seongwoo’s gaze is fixed on him. Minhyun sits in front of him on the dusty floor, making eye contact so intensely that Seongwoo wouldn’t dare look away.

“You once told me, the most important thing is not to live but to have a reason to. You’re my reason Seongwoo,” Minhyun breaths out. His pupils are shaky, evident from stress, and Seongwoo shuffles closer to him so that he can climb into his lap. He holds Minhyun close, and he feels him lean in to hold him even further.

“I’m honoured. Don’t you ever think that I’d willingly leave you. I’ll never leave, okay?” Minhyun nods into Seongwoo’s shoulder, warmth radiating from him. Seongwoo smiles because even through the chaos, they seem to find comfort – a home – within each other.

He knows their journey is far from over, but Seongwoo is sure of one thing. Now that Minhyun is free, there’s no knowing of what potential he holds. He is adamant that with the power of love and free will, they’ll be able to make whatever this is work. He’s betting his life on it.

☽

 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reaching the end. this has been so fun to write and i love the 95 line so so so much! 
> 
> thank you again ♡
> 
> p.s in case you were wondering, my favourite character is connor! although i really love chloe so she would be my second.


End file.
